Final Fantasy X turns 25 today, and it’s still one of the best places to start if you’ve never played a Final Fantasy! 🥳
Released for PlayStation 2 in Japan on July 19, 2001, FFX follows summoner Yuna and her guardians as they journey across the unforgettable world of Spira to defeat Sin.
The game opens with a melancholic campfire scene that makes little sense at first, but everything came full circle when I reached that point in the story. After that, it hits hard every time I see it and every time I hear To Zanarkand.
There are so many incredible moments, and I’ll never forget the first time I played. Yuna’s Sending in Kilika completely captivated me, and from that moment I couldn’t stop until I reached the ending.
Although the first FF not entirely composed by Uematsu, the soundtrack is unforgettable. To this day, just hearing Suteki Da Ne pulls at my heart and instantly takes me back to that beautiful evening at Lake Macalania.
And yes, I even love the infamous laughing scene! 😆 It’s awkward on purpose, and perfectly captures two people trying to find hope and resolve in an impossible situation.
The gameplay is also phenomenal and accessible for newer players. The active time battle system of its predecessors gave way to an innovative conditional turn-based combat system, which is influenced turn order and pauses between characters. Players can also use AP for stat boosts in the versatile Sphere Grid system.
Twenty-five years later, I still love revisiting Spira ❤️